


A Shared Universe

by raiseyourpinky



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: M/M, Romance, Same-Sex Marriage, Stargazing, aristotle/dante, set in present day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-04-09 06:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4338440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raiseyourpinky/pseuds/raiseyourpinky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dante is analyzing marriage, while trying to stay at the top of his game in the romance field. Ari is enjoying this too much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Shared Universe

**Author's Note:**

> This just kind of happened.

The stars were particularly beautiful tonight. Ari knew this is where he would find Dante. Sitting in their bench swing in their backyard. That’s exactly where he was. And even though he was in his early forties, Dante was still happiest without shoes.

As soon as Dante heard Ari’s footsteps, he turned and smiled in that same boyish smile Ari would never tire of. It was one of those things that made him look younger. Dante was wearing cargo shorts and a white T-shirt he’d painted himself to say, “I’m a struggling artist. I struggle choosing colors.” His short hair was messy, showing signs of his antsy hands pulling at it. He did that a lot while he worked.

Ari sat down beside Dante, but instead of gazing up at the stars, he looked at Dante. “I thought it was too quiet inside.”

Dante leaned his head against Ari’s shoulder and picked it up again. “I finished my painting. I came out here to think.”

“What do you think about?” Ari asked. He had a guess, but he figured he wouldn’t rush the issue. They hadn’t discussed it all day. Not since they heard the news.

“I’m thrilled for all the same-sex couples that can get married now,” Dante said, glancing in Ari’s direction without really meeting his eyes.

“Me too. Times are different now.” Ari had thought a lot about his aunt since he heard the news. She would have been happy. The legalization of same-sex marriage throughout the country was huge. And although he’d never really fought for the issue, he knew many people had, and he was grateful for it. Grateful for this change.

“How long have we been together, Ari?” Dante asked.

Ari smiled. “I lost count after the ten year mark.”

“You were such a young boy then,” Dante said, and he laughed.

“I was young? We’re the same age.”

“We’ve known each other for nearly thirty years, Ari,” Dante said. And he got real quiet. He’d really given this a lot of thought.

Ari shrugged. “I guess it hasn’t felt that long to me.” It really hadn’t. Living each and every moment beside his best friend, his companion, his lover, his confidant, it had been as natural as breathing. And somehow, they hadn’t lost their individuality. Ari had his own universe, and Dante had his, but they decided to share their universes with each other from time to time, to let each other in. That was how they’d lived so long in harmony.

“I love you very much, Aristotle Mendoza,” Dante said, and he took Ari’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Dante’s hand was warm and comforting and even now, Ari felt a million different sensations in his stomach the moment their hands touched. And how intimate it felt to have Dante’s thumb caress the top of his hand.

Ari looked at him, really looked at him. He saw the crinkles at the corners of Dante’s eyes, his pointed nose, his soft lips, his sharp jaw, his long lashes. Ari loved every little piece of Dante that made him whole. “Me too.”

Dante kissed him. Just once. Ari closed his eyes and kept them closed until Dante spoke again. “Marriage is symbolic, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage. Analyzing it.”

“That’s not surprising, Dante.”

“People have really trashed the very essence of marriage,” Dante continued, still holding Ari’s hand. “The divorce rate is insane. There’s adultery, and abuse, and misery. But I know how happy my parents are in their marriage. They’ve had a good thing going for them. So have your parents.”

“That’s right,” Ari said. “I guess marriage only works for some people.”

“Do you think it would work for us?” Dante said, and he looked Ari in the eyes.

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t,” Ari said. “If I’m not sick of you now, I doubt I’ll be sick of you after signing a piece of paper.”

“Ari, marriage is not just a piece of paper,” Dante said. “It’s a union between two people, who not only want to share their lives together, but their finances and their properties and their rights. Not the way we already do. This will be different.”

Ari touched Dante’s face. “Are you afraid?”

“No. I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not, Ari. I’m not afraid.”

Ari sighed. “Look, Dante, you don’t have to stress over this tonight. Besides, I haven’t even asked you.”

“I know you haven’t,” Dante said. “I was going to ask you.”

“Oh,” Ari said. “I see why you’re so stressed now.” All this time, Ari thought Dante was waiting for him to pop the question. He should have known better. Dante didn’t have to wait for Ari to do something he wanted done.

“I’m not being very romantic right now,” Dante said. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re always romantic,” Ari said, kissing Dante’s forehead.

Dante shook his head. “I’ve made my decision, Ari.”

“What decision?” Ari said. He tried to read Dante’s face, but he was inscrutable. Sometimes he could be that way. Maybe he’d learned from the best.

“I can’t tell you just yet,” Dante said. And then he kissed his hand and stood from the bench swing.

“Are you going to bed? This early?” Ari said. Dante was a night owl who hardly ever slept until about sunrise. Ari never waited up for him, but he always felt when Dante finally got into bed and he automatically snuggled closer.  

“I am,” Dante said. “I have to wake up bright and early tomorrow.”

“Since when does Dante Quintana wake up before noon?” Ari asked, standing up as well. They walked together back inside their house.

Dante made a big deal of stretching and yawning. “I’m just so tired. From painting. That made me tired.”

Ari looked at him funny. He wasn’t buying any of that. “Alright, well, if you’re so tired, you better get some sleep. I’ll be at the kitchen table grading papers.”

“I’m spending the day with my parents tomorrow,” Dante said, suddenly. “I won’t be here when you get home from work. So, give me a call once you’re off work and we’ll meet somewhere for dinner.”

Again, Ari didn’t comment on Dante’s strange behavior, much less on the fact that Dante, who loved to cook, was opting for eating out. “Okay. Have sweet dreams.”

Dante grinned widely before he pressed a big, wet kiss on Ari’s cheek. “So you don’t miss Jelly,” Dante said.

Jelly had been their last dog. A beautiful black Labrador. They’d gotten her together after Legs had passed away. But after Jelly, Ari hadn’t felt ready for another dog. He was tired of outliving them. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. Dante knew Ari wanted another dog, and Ari knew Dante wanted another dog too. But neither one of them had done something to change that. That was life as adults. Wanting things, but putting them aside because responsibilities demanded attention.

Ari wiped his cheek. “Thanks?”

Dante laughed. He squeezed Ari’s ass and finally headed to bed.

Ari stood in their living room, trying to make sense of Dante, but before he tired himself out, Ari pulled out his stack of essays from his English Composition course and sat at the table to read and grade them.

 

***

 

It was later than expected when Ari was able to head home from the university where he taught his class. He’d been teaching at UTEP for quite a few years, and he still found ways to forget the time as he met with students in his office or simply roamed the many halls. He loved this school. He loved to teach. His mom had told him teaching ran in his blood, and whether that was true or not, he still loved it.

Dante had left him a text message on his cell phone. Ari preferred phone calls from text messages, but Dante must have known he was busy.

_“Whenever you’re ready, meet me at our place. In the desert.”_

Ari wanted to call Dante and ask him if that was really such a good idea. Ari was starving, and he knew their place in the desert didn’t come with a restaurant, or even a food truck. But he decided to trust Dante, as he did, and he headed to the desert.

Once he arrived, he found Dante’s old Jeep parked next to a clothed table with two chairs. Ari stepped out of his truck and stared at the setup. The table was set with fine-looking china and wine glasses. A bottle of red wine and a covered up tray rested in the middle of the table. And it was all in the middle of the desert, on a hot summer night. Only Dante.

“Dante?” Ari called when he realized he was the only piece missing.

As if on cue, Dante stepped from beside his Jeep, wearing dark jeans and a T-shirt that had the picture of a tuxedo. “Do you like it?”

“What’s all this?” Ari said.

Dante rushed to his side and pulled out a chair. “Sit down.”

Ari sat down and followed Dante with his gaze until he sat across from him. “How long did it take you to put this together, Dante?”

“You ask too many questions, and you didn’t answer mine,” Dante said, shaking his head.

“I like it,” Ari said.

Dante smiled. “Thank you.” Dante opened the bottle of wine and filled their cups. And then he uncovered the tray and revealed a delightful pot roast. It was Ari’s favorite, which is why Dante cooked it so often without a complaint.

Ari’s stomach grumbled in response, and they both laughed. “This is really amazing, Dante. I don’t know what to say.”

“I got you something,” Dante said. He got up and walked behind his Jeep again. He came back out, holding a pug on a leash.

Ari widened his eyes, staring at the dog. “Who’s this?”

“You get to name him,” Dante said. “I figured our home was missing a member.”

“He’s ours?” Ari said. It was a dangerous thing, getting excited about the ownership of a dog, when in reality it could have just been a friendly loan.

Dante nodded. “He’s ours.”

Ari bent down to pet his new dog and he decided on a name right away. “He’s Frank.”

“Men in Black, Ari?” Dante said. “What an excellent source of inspiration.”

Ari looked up at Dante. “You don’t have to ask me,” Ari said.

“I want to do it,” Dante said. “Let me be romantic.”

“You’re incredibly romantic, Dante,” Ari said. If this didn’t prove that, then he didn’t know what did.

“Could you pretend to be surprised when I ask you?” Dante said. “I had it all planned out.”

Ari laughed. “There’s never a day that goes by when you don’t surprise me.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ari had to stop playing with Frank in order to continue with his entirely romantic dinner with Dante under a night full of stars. They used hand sanitizer before they ate, and then they toasted to their lovely night.

“Statistics show that fifty percent of marriages end in divorce,” Dante said. “And relationships that start under the age of thirty are most likely to end.”

“That’s grim,” Ari said.

“I never much believed in probabilities,” Dante said. “I won’t live my life in ‘maybes,’ and I will not let my fears control me. I know the facts here, Ari. I love you, and you love me. And we’ve been together for twenty-nine wonderful years. We’ve been friends, we’ve been family, and we’ve been lovers. We are a family. You and me and our dog. We’ve had this, with or without a marriage certificate. But like I said before, marriage is symbolic. It’s something I’m more than ready to experience, with none other than you.”

Ari wasn’t sure when a few tears had rolled down his cheek, but when the wind hit his face it made him aware of them. He wiped his cheek and leaned forward on the table. He reached for Dante’s hand and held it.

“Will you marry me?” Dante asked. There were tears in his eyes, too. And joy. He was crying because he was happy, because Ari made him happy. After all these years, Ari still made him happy. He hoped that never changed.

“Yes,” Ari said. It was a quick response, one he didn’t have to think on.

“Tomorrow?”

“Okay.”

Dante laughed, letting the tears run down. “I’m serious, Ari. I’m dragging you out of bed first thing tomorrow to get that marriage license.”

“I’ll be ready then,” Ari said.

“I fucking love you,” Dante said.

Ari was out of his seat, and he pulled Dante into his arms. Dante gripped onto his back and Ari pressed a few kisses to Dante’s neck, whispering sweet words to him.

Frank walked over to their feet, and Ari picked him up.

“This is your new family, Frank,” Ari said. “We’re very happy to have you.”

Dante scratched Frank’s head. “Yes, we are.”

Ari glanced at the sky. He saw beauty there. Lots of it. But he didn’t spend much time looking at it. Instead, he looked at Dante. The sight of him was something he would never outgrow. It was in moments like this, when their two separate universes became one. Just for a while.

Dante wrapped an arm around Ari’s shoulders and kissed his head. “I’m really happy.”

“I’m happy you’re happy.”

“What did we ever discover from all our stargazing, Ari?”

“I think we discovered how small we are in this vast world, and how important the people are around us. Imagine, we could have been born any other organism in any other place, but we weren’t. You and I, we were born in the same century, lived in the same city, and we came together. I think that’s special.”

Dante looked at him. “I worked so hard setting this up and you say those few sentences and completely surpass my romanticism.”

“It’s not a competition, Dante.”

“Everything’s a competition,” Dante said. “You just have to choose if you want to beat your opponent.”

Ari laughed, and he put Frank down so he could run freely. Although he didn’t run much. They stayed in the desert for another hour or two. Tomorrow, things would be different, without being different. Nothing would change, and everything would change.

That was marriage. That was life.


End file.
